UFC On ESPN 8: "Overeem vs Harris" Live Play-By-Play & ResultsThe Ultimate Fighting Championship remained at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida tonight for UFC on ESPN 8: “Overeem vs Harris.” The card was headlined by a heavyweight bout between contenders Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem and Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris.

In the strawweight co-main event, Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha faced off against Angela “Overkill” Hill. Elsewhere on the main card, Dan “50 K” Ige battled former 155-pound standout Edson Barboza in a featherweight showdown. MMARising.com has live play-by-play for tonight’s card.

 

Alistair “Demolition Man” Overeem vs Walt “The Big Ticket” Harris

Round 1:
Overeem circled on the outside and landed a spinning back kick to the body early on. Harris responded with a combination and Overeem landed a left hook in return. Harris dropped Overeem with two punches and he tried for finish him with more heavy strikes on the ground. Overeem, bleeding from the nose and from a bad gash above his left eye, weathered the storm and managed to get back to his feet. Harris attacked with another barrage of punches, but he slipped after missing with a right hook and Overeem took his back on the ground. Harris got back to half-guard, but Overeem peppered him with left hands from the top. He continued to land left hands and knees to the body, and prevented Harris from getting back to his feet. Tough round to score. 10-9 Overeem, amazingly, due to the rally.

Round 2:
The fighters traded single strikes in the second round until Overeem dropped Harris with a head kick. He went in for the finish with powerful ground and pound, then took Harris’s back and flattened him out. Overeem continued to land punches to the side of Harris’s head, as Harris could not move or escape, and the fight was eventually stopped.

Winner: Alistair Overeem by TKO (Punches) at 3:00 of round two. He improves to 46-18-0, 1 NC.

 

Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha vs Angela “Overkill” Hill

Round 1:
Hill backed Gadelha up with jabs and right hands early on, then stuffed a takedown attempt. Gadelha landed a right hand on the break and followed with a lead left hook. Hill landed a flurry and Gadelha responded with an overhand right and a stiff jab that halted Hill’s momentum. Punches were exchanged and Gadelha pinned Hill against the cage. She got Hill down into side control and landed short strikes from the top as Hill tried to work her way back to the cage. Hill stood up shortly before the bell, but not before eating more left hands to the face along the way. 10-9 Gadelha.

Round 2:
Gadelha countered Hill’s forward movement with lead left hands and overhand rights. Hill cut her with a left hook to the right eye and then dropped Gadelha with a hard right hand. Gadelha got back to her feet and tried for a takedown, but Hill pulled her leg free. Gadelha landed a nice one-two and Hill countered a clinch with a knee to the body. The fighters separated and Gadelha landed an overhand right and a leg kick. Hill easily avoided a takedown attempt and she flurried to the body and head. Hill landed more punches and a grazing head kick before the bell. 10-9 Hill.

Round 3:
Both women landed combinations in the final round and Gadelha appeared to get the better of the exchanges. She repeatedly scored with straight right hands and mixed in a step-in elbow. Hill fired back with right hands and she briefly knocked Gadelha off-balance with a lead left hand. Hill mixed things up with a knee and an overhand right, which led to an exchange of powerful left hooks. Hill bloodied Gadelha’s nose and Gadelha responded by clinching. She landed a hard elbow on the break and Hill responded with a kick to the upper body. Both women landed punches to close out the razor-thin round. 10-9 Gadelha, barely. Fight could go either way.

Winner: Claudia Gadelha by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. She improves to 18-4-0.

 

Dan “50 K” Ige vs Edson Barboza

Round 1:
Ige started aggressively with punching combinations and Barboza landed two knees in return. Ige continued to press forward with punches until Barboza dropped him with a counter right hook to the temple. Ige recovered on the ground, but Barboza blasted him with hammerfists. Ige kicked him off and the fight returned to the feet. Barboza landed two left hooks to the liver and Ige responded with a body kick. He followed with a hard right hook to the body and Barboza answered with a kick. He spun Ige around with a leg kick and followed with a left hook that backed Ige up. Ige clinched and Barboza landed a knee to the chest. He broke free from Ige’s grasp and landed kicks to Ige’s body and lead leg before the bell. 10-9 Barboza.

Round 2:
The second round began with Ige firing off a lengthy combination and he landed two right hooks over the top. Barboza kicked to the body and Ige punched his way into a clinch. Barboza countered with knees from a Thai clinch and he circled away. The fighters traded left hooks and Barboza landed two leg kicks. Ige flurried twice and he backed Barboza up momentarily. Ige punched to the body and followed with an elbow, then looked to countered a Barboza body kick with a takedown. Barboza sprawled and the fighters stood. Barboza landed a lead left hook and he hurt Ige with a liver kick. Ige shot in for a sloppy takedown and he flopped to his back. Barboza struck from the top with punches and hammerfists. 10-9 Barboza.

Round 3:
Ige remained the aggressor in round three as he walked Barboza down with jabs and right hooks. Barboza countered a clinch with an elbow over the top and another left hook to the liver that hurt Ige again. Ige shot in for a takedown and Barboza easily avoided it. Ige landed a hard right hand and ate a leg kick in return. He was able to clinch with Barboza and took him down against the cage. Ige postured up with left hands and elbows as he tried to pass Barboza’s guard. Barboza held on from the bottom and Ige landed short left hands until the end of the fight. 10-9 Ige due to the late offence.

Winner: Dan Ige by Split Decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) after three rounds. He improves to 14-2-0.

 

Krzysztof Jotko vs “Ya Boi” Eryk Anders

Round 1:
After an early exchange of punches, Anders attempted an elbow and Jotko clinched. Anders broke free and Jotko landed an upward elbow strike. Anders closed the distance and Jotko punched in close. Anders briefly tripped him to the mat, but Jotko landed on his knees and he quickly returned to his feet. Both men landed left hooks and Anders secured another clinch. He landed a hard left hook on the break and Jotko fired back with a lunging one-two. Jotko took Anders’s back and tried for a takedown. A scramble followed and Jotko wound up on top. The fighters stood and Anders just missed with a head kick. Jotko landed two quick punches and the frenetic round ended in a clinch. Close, back-and-forth round. 10-9 Jotko, barely.

Round 2:
Anders was aggressive with punches right away in the second round and he tried for a takedown against the cage. Jotko defended and he countered with right hooks as Anders closed in again. Both men landed punches in a subsequent exchange and Anders held Jotko against the fence. Jotko circled out and he landed a pair of one-twos before Anders clinched. Jotko circled out with an elbow and he landed counter left hooks as Anders pressed forward once more. He held Jotko against the cage, but could not get him down. 10-9 Jotko.

Round 3:
Anders was able to initiate a clinch in the final round, but Jotko broke free and he landed a hard one-two that snapped Anders’s head back. The fighters traded punches and Anders landed his best flurry of the fight. Jotko answered back with a head kick and Anders clinched with him against the cage. Jotko broke free from the clinch once more, but Anders closed in again. Jotko attempted a spinning kick late in the fairly uneventful round. 10-9 Jotko despite the clinchwork.

Winner: Krzysztof Jotko by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 22-4-0.

 

Yadong “Kung Fu Monkey” Song vs Marlon “Chito” Vera

Round 1:
Song landed an overhand right and a leg kick in the opening minute as Vera looked to counter from a distance. Song threw more kicks to Vera’s lead leg and body, and he countered a body kick with a right cross. Vera landed a powerful leg kick in return and Song initiated a clinch. Vera broke free and he landed a series of leg kicks. Song punched his way into a clinch and Vera countered with knees. He reversed the clinch and threw hammerfists and knees to Song’s thighs. Song responded with two elbows over the top and Vera landed more knees. Close opening round. 10-9 Vera.

Round 2:
The fighters exchanged strikes in the second round until Vera caught a kick and briefly looked for a standing arm-triangle choke. Song broke free and he landed a front kick and a combination. Vera walked him down with leg kicks and front kicks, but Song countered nicely with two- and three-punch combos while circling to the side. A nice left hook landed for Song, who caught a kick from Vera. As the round progressed, Song remained effective with quick combos and he clinched after a knee from Vera. The fighters teed off with looping punches and elbows in an exchange against the fence and both landed stiff jabs after separating. Song landed a hard right hook and Vera responded with a left hand to the liver. Another close round. 10-9 Song.

Round 3:
Vera secured a trip takedown from a clinch in the final round and he struck from the top until Song battled back to his feet. Song landed a solid combination and he followed with one-twos that backed Vera up. Two lead left hooks scored for Song, but Vera continued to press forward with punches and elbows of his own. Song flurried to the body and he landed another combination that led to a clinch battle against the cage. Vera tripped Song, but Song quickly returned to his feet and he attacked with punches and an elbow. Vera sprawled as Song shot in for a takedown and he took Song’s back in the process. Vera punched the sides of Song’s head until Song got back up shortly before the bell. 10-9 Vera.

Winner: Yadong Song by Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) after three rounds. He improves to 16-4-1, 1 NC.

 

(Undercard results and play-by-play on Page Two.)